The Andover Townsman - A Grassroots Message; GOP Presidential Hopeful Ted Cruz Brings Campaign to Anover
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By Garrin Marchetti
Speaking in front of a crowd of roughly 500 people, Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz grabbed the attention of his audience Saturday in Andover from the very start by showing some local flavor.
"Let me start by saying, Tom Brady was framed!" Cruz said. "Now, I'm not willing to pander on much, but on that, Tom Brady was framed!"
The gathering cheered loudly with approval, giving Cruz, the current Texas senator, a warm welcome in his first visit to Massachusetts during his campaign for the GOP's presidential nomination. After spending the day in New Hampshire Saturday, Cruz held a meet-and-greet with fans at The Barn at the home of state Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, on High Vale Lane.
Residents from the Merrimack Valley and beyond attended the event, where they listened to Cruz describe his vision for a "country in crisis."
"The central issue in this next election is reigniting the process of America," Cruz said. "Getting back to the fundamental idea that our children can live a better life than we did, and their children can live a better life than they did."
Standing on the steps of The Barn, Cruz outlined his keys for changing the course for American citizens. He stressed job and economic growth, proposing the country adopt a flat tax system in his hopes to "abolish the IRS." He acknowledged during the 1960s, John F. Kennedy Jr. was a proponent of tax cuts, and if he were around today, the popular Massachusetts politician would probably be a Republican.
He urged those gathered to defend their civil liberties, such as their right to religion and to bear arms. He also spoke of the importance of every citizen's right to privacy.
Since his campaign started, Cruz has made foreign policy one of the forefronts of his platform, particularly his opinions on how to handle terrorist groups such as ISIS. He told the audience to imagine a president who would "stand unapologetically" with Israel, and not allowing countries known to be threats to America to carry nuclear weapons.
According to Cruz, the United States looks much like it did during the late 1970s, when Jimmy Carter was in office. Both Carter and President Barack Obama have adopted poor economic and foreign policies, Cruz said, but despite the parallels, history shows the future will be brighter.
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